Jack Parkman

The payroll isn't going to be as low as people think shortly. Moncada, Giolito and Lopez hit arbitration in 2021. The first two will start to get expensive PDQ. Arbitration salaries start to add up pretty quickly.

Betts and JDM?

I'm not buying sports video games every year anymore. I bought Show, Madden and NHL this year and I've decided that it's going to be an every couple years thing and I'm going to stagger them. Next year madden, in 2021 the Show, in 2022 NHL and so on. I don't play enough to justify the cost every year. With the Show and Madden they do a good job in the Roster Vault. I'm really bummed NHL doesn't have one because that's the one I'd enjoy having a roster vault the most in. I'm a sucker for hockey nostalgia. I MIGHT continue to buy NHL every year because I have a metric ton of fun with those. If I was able to drive and work this fall/winter, I wouldn't have purchased Madden and NHL.

Greg, I know sarcasm is difficult to decipher over text, and I struggle with it as well. If you know Ron as a poster as well as you should, he's being 100% facetious there. He's just ball busting.

The offers weren't there. Did you see what the best relief arms on the market got? It was virtually nothing.

Eloy is a possibility at either position.

If you're correct, then Wheeler is the only realistic option this offseason for a rotation upgrade. They really need someone to plug and play though.

I get your apprehension. I really do. I also have a damn signature that agrees with you about Reinsdorf. It's only plausible if Boston eats money and he passes a rigorous physical on his left arm. However, something like this might be the best way to get a TOR arm. It's not an insane idea, but it's extremely unlikely. Regardless, I don't think either the Sox or Sale are interested in a reunion tour. Andrew Vaughn for AJ Puk. Who says no?

If they get rained out tomorrow how do they handle a 72-90 vs a 71-89?

My point is that he's been here, the Sox have done a good job keeping him healthy, and any pitcher can get injured at any time. Also, the years are known and you might get some minor eating of money. I'd take that risk on a pure salary dump because it's only a 5 year deal. Examine his shoulder closely before agreeing to anything though. They know him better than anyone other than Boston. If the only thing it costs is money, why not? It's better than doing nothing. There is no guarantee any of the other top pitchers will sign here. I'd only do it if Boston pays 1 year of his deal, so it would potentially be either a 5/120 or 4/120 deal for the Sox. We all know what Chris Sale is when he's healthy. There's nothing the Sox need more than a TOR LHP.

But they're also pitchers. You could end up signing Cole and he never pitches an inning in 2020. He comes to ST and gets hurt. Masahiro Tanaka has been pitching 3 seasons on a partially torn UCL and still hasn't gone under the knife. Sale didn't have anywhere close to as many arm issues with the Sox that he did with Boston.

It's likely now that the Padres will pick ahead of the Sox. Who would have thought that in March?

What's been happening with Sox prospects in the AFL lately? Haven't heard any updates in a while.

They should consider Grandal regardless of Collins. They could bring in Puig, Calhoun and Grandal, bring back Abreu and still have starts available for Collins. It's a nice way to let him prove himself. Remember there are 26 men on the active roster next year and relievers have to face 3 batters.

So does Collins have a spot as DH/1B/C next year?

The incentive to win is that whether you finish with 67 wins or 87 wins, you still have the same odds to get a high pick. Also, you'd have no idea where you're drafting until the winter meetings. There is zero guarantee of a high pick. You could win 65 games and pick 20th, if that is where the ping pong balls put you. The first time that happens, will be the first time that teams try to win instead of tank. Most years, if you don't make the playoffs you're going to pick in the teens anyway.

That will reward teams for trying. There is no inherent benefit for NOT trying. A draft wheel is another option. If there is a draft wheel, picks can never be traded.

If it's weighted tanking still happens. It has to be an unweighted lottery and it has to be every draft position in order to discourage tanking. It's really simple. 20 ping pong balls, 20 logos, do it on live tv so there can be no shenanigans. You can't have a top 5 pick more than 2 consecutive seasons. In the NHL and NBA it should be a top 3 pick instead of top 5. If you meet the exclusion criteria that season you pick 14th or 20th. If 2 teams meet the criteria you do a coin flip, if 3+ teams miss it's 20-16 based on record.

I think they're an 85 win true talent team so they only have to make up 13-14 wins.

I think the NFL and MLB need to start a draft lottery. The big difference is doing 20 teams instead of 14. I think if they want anti-tanking measures the beat way to do it is to lottery every non-playoff pick every year with all odds equally weighted. They have a ping pong ball with a team logo on it and just pull them out in reverse order. It's completely random, so nobody can ever count on getting a top pick, and they can put in other rules such that you can't have a top 3 pick in more than 2 consecutive drafts, and if you meet that criteria and miss the playoffs you automatically get the 10th pick in 14 team lotteries and the 16th in 20 team lotteries.

What just happened to Moncada? I saw the dive but I heard he went to the clubhouse.

I'm with this train of thought. I don't want the Sox to blow their entire wad this offseason. If they're going to sign a big fish, it should be Betts. Keep this year's pitching signings in the non-Gerrit Cole tier. Save that money for Betts. I'd take the chance on Sale as a pure salary dump, granted there are conditions that if he has any arm surgery the Sawx cover his salary for the missed year.

Mookie without either Sale or Price attached would cost Robert or Kopech+, so just wait a year. If he comes with Sale and $30M I might think about it. Then you have to sign Betts to an 8/250 deal. I don't think he's going to get $300M at 28. Those 2 years between he and Harper make a difference.

Then why would you feel confident signing Cole, Strasburg, Bumgarner or anyone else on the free agent market? You can make that argument about any pitcher who reaches FA. I'd actually feel safer with Sale than anyone else because they knew how to keep him healthy during his previous stint, regardless of any current elbow damage. As long as his shoulder is ok, I'm fine re-aquiring Sale, should he wish to return. They'd have to pay for the first year of the contract as an insurance policy, but I'd take the 4/120 after that and be pretty confident they could get 170+innings from him each subsequent season. He's not coming back, so this is all just mental masturbation anyway.

If so, if Boston paid $30M and Betts for you to take it, you wouldn't? The 30M would presumably cover next year's TJS. Not that I think he'd come back anyway, but still. If he has TJS and is close to the same guy you take it and run.